Let us put together an ILX canon of video games

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What would be on there? Can ILX find a middle ground between the twin video game criticism crimes of "rewriting press releases" and "pretentious twaddle"? Would Burger Time be right at the top of the list?

Suggestions please.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

pretty much all of the super mario games. those are as canonical as games get to me!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Manic Miner and Jetset Willy.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Mega Man 2.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

(obviously)

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Also Resident Evil 4, for the beautiful albeit short-lived sense of brotherhood on that thread.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

i wanna make a movie about mega man champions called Mega Men.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

International Karate Plus
Championship Manager 97/98
Pirates!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Trog
Strike Force Bowling
Galaga
Tempest

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Minesweeper

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Earthbound

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

SONIC

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 26 May 2005 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Ico and Rez

I actually thought Super Mario 64 was hell on earth to play, but that was after a lot of time playing eg Spyro, which has a great camera system.

Actually, that reminds me:

Ratchet & Clank 3 (I forget the actual name)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

pc games that changed the way I waste time forever:

civilization 1-2 (perhaps its bastard cousin colonization as well)
space quest 1-6?
ultima 7 pts 1 & 2
dune 2

― Actor Sizemore fails drug test with fake penis (jingleberries), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

jordan took mine

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm all about Medal of Honor

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

capcom had pretty much a clean record all the way up from 1988-1994

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

man i want to play MM2 now

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Age of Empires II
DYNAMITE HEADDY!
Sensible Soccer
Bomberman
Championship Manager 01/02
Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (or maybe 4 - i prefer 4)
Fifa International Soccer (Yeah it was buggy but AWESOME)
Burnout 3
Resident Evil 4 (Jordon, that thread was so great we should all play it again sometime - or better yet, meet up and play mercenaries!)
Harvest Moon
Pokemon Red/Blue (probably some haters here i dunno...)
Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Final Fantasy 7
Goldeneye
Perfect Dark
Donkey Kong (I and II)
Theme Hospital (someone has to be with me on this...)
Battlefield Vietnam (For online play and hilarity - ok i'm going off on personal tangents. But crashing helicopters into 6 or more team mates and them all telling you to die of aids is one of my gaming highlights. Oh man.)

― Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Half Life/Half Life 2
Full Throttle
Grim Fandango
Wipeout XL/2097
KOTOR

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Katamari Damacy

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Micro Machines
Cannon Fodder

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

PONG

― ()ops (()()ps), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Crystal Castles
Space Harrier
Legend of Kage

― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Micro Machines

there was one micro machines game on the mega drive that was my LIFE

― Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

manic miner and JSW (seconded)
elite
chuckie egg
alter ego
hitch-hiker's guide (and indeed all the mid-period infocom stuff)
tomb raider (the first one)

is it too early to include GTA vice city and san andreas? nah, it's not.

that's a list from the heart.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 26 May 2005 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

if perfect dark or the championship manager series hadnt been invented i woulda had better exam grades

fact

― secondhandtoys, Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

ok here's a question.

did anybody ever complete Chuck Rock?

...game's been getting the better of me for over ten years.

― Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Lemmings, for crying out loud!

― Øystein (Øystein), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

PONG!

― Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

big arcade machine:

Galaga (seconded)
Ms Pac-Man
Star Wars

homestyle:
Yar's Revenge
Pitfall II
River Raid
Defender
Adventure

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

-FALLOUT, YOU BASTARDS. Both 1 and 2. Best RPG in the history of everything, and I almost never bother with RPGs.

-Forza Motorsport, which was only released three weeks ago but is easily the best simulation-style racing game I've ever played: 40 years' worth of Ferraris + custom decals + online play with drunk/stoned college dudes in tricked-out CRXes which is a lot more fun that it sounds + superior AI that actually avoids slamming into you -- unless you try starting shit with it, then it will go into vengeful payback mode + the ability to do nutty things like drop a Skyline GT-R engine into a Datsun 240Z and tuning it to 700 HP, rendering it almost completely undrivable + LANCIA STRATOS! + excellent damage model + it has the Nurburgring which most racing games do nowadays but it is fucking GORGEOUS in this.

-Midnight Club 3 -- also a recently released racer; lots of fun customization stuff (you can create a chop-top '78 Monte Carlo with gold trim and pimp rims but still throw in a monster engine with a huge blower), plus it has M.I.A. on the soundtrack which instantly makes it one of the ILx-iest games ever

-Fire Pro Wrestling D or Z -- Japanese import and the most fun I've had every playing a game that involved giving people beatings (this includes the Street Fighter and Tekken series); a great simulation of the 'sport' that almost never fails to bring the drama in every match.

-But still, STREET FIGHTER II YOU CORNY PC-GAMER FUXX

-Double Dribble for NES. I always liked smashing the backboard with the Boston Frogs.

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Come on guys!

- Doom (ffs!)
- the Sims (ffs even further! essential? if you cannot tell me why, move to the back of the class)
- HalfLife

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry that should be "essential!" cos like, I'm not questioning that it is =)

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Off the top of my head, stuff that I've _really_ got into:

Ant attack
Dun Darach
Doom & Doom2
Quake expansion pack "Scourge of Armagon"
Half Life
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Arx Fatalis
My favourite = Hexen 2, and especially the mission pack for it though.

Too fucked to think of reasons why right now, more later perhaps.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 26 May 2005 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
Turrican 1 & 2
Flashback

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I'd also include the SimCity series (2000 and SC4 especially)

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe - hell yes!
Turrican 1 & 2 - HELL YES!!!
Flashback - whassat?

― the black hand, Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

TimeSplitters 2 & 3
Robotron
Frogger

― darin (darin), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Adam, Flashback:

http://www.retrogaming.it/amiga/flashback_4.gif
http://www.retrogaming.it/amiga/flashback_5.gif
http://www.retrogaming.it/amiga/flashback_2.gif

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

EXCITEBIKE.

Also, Maniac Mansion. Put the gerbil in the microwave!

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG I totally forgot about that game!

― the black hand, Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

(Flashback I mean)

Steve - did you have an Atari ST or an Amiga? (or BOTH????)

― the black hand, Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

just an Amiga. I spat at ST owners. Well, not really.

firmly ensconced in the ultimate 80s arcade:

R-Type
Gemini Wing (not so well known but the best vertical shoot 'em up i ever played)
Rainbow Islands already

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:26 (twenty-one years ago)

X Men vs Street Fighter

― AdrianB (AdrianB), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Planescape: Torment
Baldur's Gate 2
Tekken 2

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Thursday, 26 May 2005 22:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Wings of Fury

― mikef (mfleming), Thursday, 26 May 2005 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

the original X-Men 4 player arcade game, awesomeness
the Mario Kart series
HEAVYYYYYYYYY BARREL
and
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/Ladybug3.png

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Thursday, 26 May 2005 23:35 (twenty-one years ago)

*giggles*

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Thursday, 26 May 2005 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

My b/f to this thread stat. He'd know what for.

Its interesting most of you are focusing on console and arcade games, and not at all/so much on PC.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 26 May 2005 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 57 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Burnout 3 - for the Road Rage events. And for managing to go one up on its sublime predecessor.

San Andreas - because...just because it's the best game ever, goddammit!

Elite - for fucks sake! What are you people on? Why hasn't this been mentioned?

Tekken 3 - best Tekken ever.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - fun, beautiful, clever, satisfying, doesn't outstay it's welcome. What more do you want?

I don't think canonical has to only mean innovative or a milestone.

- I would have thought it has to mean exactly that, what's the point of something being canonical if it doesn't display it's importannce by fitting those criteria?

― Stone Monkey (Stone Monkey), Friday, 27 May 2005 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Elite has been mentioned.

Look at every record/book/movie in their respective canons and tell me that they're all innovative.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Friday, 27 May 2005 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I nominate the Commodore 64 version of Wizball? BEST. SHOOT. EM. UP. EVER!

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 27 May 2005 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and:

Super Puyo-Puyo - fantastic Puzzle game.
Kick Off 2 - classic football game (I actually preferred it's sequel Goal! But I'm not sure if it's a cannon choice.)

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 27 May 2005 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

renegade; the new zealand story; the original prince of persia; wings of fury seconded; UN squadron.

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 27 May 2005 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Bomberman, or Dyna Blaster as it was known on the Amiga - 5 player brilliance

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 27 May 2005 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

For those who find Contra morally objectionable, the C64 (and Spectrum?) game Midnight Resistance was pretty much a direct rip-off of it. And probably better.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 27 May 2005 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

My tongue was a fair way into my cheek when I was dissing Contra Dom. On the other hand, fuck the murdering fascist wankers.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Friday, 27 May 2005 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, on the Contra/Midnight Resistance style of games, I submit "Arnie" as the last great game made for the Commodore 64.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 27 May 2005 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Tapper!
It sucks, but TAPPER!

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 27 May 2005 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)

How can anyone play Stretch Panic? Such a great idea, but horrible execution.

― the black hand, Friday, 27 May 2005 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Trick or Treat - Amiga PD Game, a Doom clone with wizards. Anyone else here ever play it? It was on an Amiga Power coverdisc.

― AdrianB (AdrianB), Friday, 27 May 2005 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

glad to see all the flashback love

― jermaine (jnoble), Friday, 27 May 2005 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

contra 3 = super probotector?

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 27 May 2005 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

MAGIC POCKETS

http://www.bitmap-brothers.co.uk/MAGS1.GIF

― the black hand, Friday, 27 May 2005 19:05 (twenty-one years ago)

glad to see all the flashback love

Word. Ditto Out of this World. Beating that was an almost Biblical triumph for me at the time.

― giboyeux (skowly), Friday, 27 May 2005 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Heroes of Might & Magic 2 (my all-time biggest time waster)
Syndicate

― peter in montreal (spaces are allowed), Friday, 27 May 2005 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

yst-clones must cost a fortune to make, but still there have been some, like Schism. Sims-clones could be knocked out in a weekend (okay not really but you get my point), but the only one I know of (The Urbz) is an officially related product. Why is that?

Actually Andrew, its quite the opposite! Myst was, while gorgeous looking, all static screens done in Hypercard that you panned past/thru for the most part (like other adventure games did, eg Day of the Tentacle). It wouldnt be that hard to replicate, unless it went to proper 3d like Uru did (which kind of died commercially).

Whereas the Sims requires 3d programming AND a highly complex AI, which takes a hell lotta time to get right (hence the long delay in Sims2, and for that matter SC4).

The Urbz is a proper Maxis offshoot made for the PS/2 and Xbox and wont ever see a PC release. But there are Sims knockoffs - such as Singles, Playboy Mansion, and even Space Colony (sort of a Sims/SimCity mishmash with great Brit humour).

And having reread the thread I realise theres a lot more canon in here than I figured, I mustr have been half asleep y'day.

And no ones mentioned Thief or Deus Ex yet? Maybe I missed it.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 27 May 2005 23:20 (twenty-one years ago)

God of War gets instant hall of fame status.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Saturday, 28 May 2005 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Kingdom Hearts
Dark Cloud 2/Dark Chronicle
Star Ocean 2
WCW/NWO Revenge
Diablo I/II
Bejewelled
Freecell
Sega Rally
Time Crisis series
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Wonderboy series
Halflife series/Counterstrike
Everquest
Wizball
California Games

― webber (webber), Saturday, 28 May 2005 06:53 (twenty-one years ago)

fuck deus ex; what about deus ex machina, the automata 8-bit game? now that was years ahead of its time.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Saturday, 28 May 2005 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

The problem with Deus Ex Machina was that when you got it on one of those C90s full of games that circulated amongst us naughty schoolboys, it made no sense whatsoever. See also: Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

― Inchlot Spoddy-Rap (noodle vague), Saturday, 28 May 2005 11:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Cozen........PGA GOLF! so otm. the very old edition.

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 28 May 2005 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

What I really miss is the way those cheap adverts for ZX81 games in early computer magazines made the games look really mysterious and sexy and exciting. There was a game called Black Crystal (I think) that I jonesed after for months before a mate got a copy. Games now just don't have that mystery and excitement. Even something as thrilling as GTA: SA doesn't bring those feelings back. This might be R***ist, but the days of the one-man games industry were the greatest period ever.

― Inchlot Spoddy-Rap (noodle vague), Saturday, 28 May 2005 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

absolutely. the nostalgia hit i get from my occasional trawls through back-issues of your sinclair etc here is mind-blowing. those were the glory days, and it would take me several thousands words to do them justice. so instead i shall leave you to bask in the beauty of this:

http://www.zxsoftware.co.uk/ZX81/Covers/3D%20Monster%20Maze%20-%20J%20K%20Greye%20-%20ZX81.jpg

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Saturday, 28 May 2005 11:20 (twenty-one years ago)

smash TV!

― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 28 May 2005 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

SMASH TV! YEAH!

― giboyeux (skowly), Saturday, 28 May 2005 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost miles back - Apidya was great, though fearsomely hard.

― AdrianB (AdrianB), Saturday, 28 May 2005 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Basically every RPG since 1997 has been based on one or more of the following: FF7, Xenogears, Pokemon.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 28 May 2005 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it just me or is FF7 really tedious?

― Jetlag Willy (noodle vague), Saturday, 28 May 2005 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

HEAD OVER HEELS is one of the best isometric games of all time. Isometric was always my favourite viewpoint.

I think the SNES canon has to include many of the first releases in the UK including F-Zero, Super Tennis and Castlevania IV. God I loved Mode 7.

Magic Pockets wasn't really a good game. Gods was probably better but there were countless other superior platform games on the Amiga, including Chuck Rock, Toki, Switchblade II, Addams Family, Fire & Ice, The Killing Game Show and James Pond 2: Robocod...didn't rate Zool or Harlequin really.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Saturday, 28 May 2005 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

My top PC games:

Grim Fandango is #1 of all time ever.
Half-Life
Deus Ex
Sam and Max Hit the Road
Quake II
Max Payne

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 28 May 2005 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Star Control 2
NBA Live 95
STARCRAFT (c'mon people)
X-Com
Hero's Quest series
Zombies Ate My (fuckin') Neighbors

― you cannot have progress without ogres (Adrian Langston), Saturday, 28 May 2005 21:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I just skimmed this, but has no one mentioned M.U.L.E. yet?

Also, for me, and these have been mentioned: Mario 3, original Zelda and Ocarina of Time, these are obvious. Pokemon Snap, Samba de Amigo, Animal Crossing were all great, too. The original Adventure for Atari 2600. You Don't Know Jack, esp #2 and #4. The Sims and Sim City. I spent hours and hours playing Jumpman on my old Atari 800XL but I'm not sure it really belongs in the canon...

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 28 May 2005 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

ihttp://www.videogameconnection.com/images/GENtoejamearlbox.jpg

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 28 May 2005 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

TOE JAM & EARL !!!!!

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 28 May 2005 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.alt-tab.net/alt-tab/images/chaosAni.gif

It's all about Chaos! Up to eight players! Responsible for many a young fight when the kid from across the road has the temerity to see if your Golden Dragon is an illusion…

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 28 May 2005 23:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Some great suggestions thus far. Games that really got the claws into me over the years include:
GBA: Wario Ware

This is definitely one of the ten best games ever.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Sunday, 29 May 2005 07:19 (twenty-one years ago)

pilotwings; commodore 64 batman and the dizzy series; FF7 is kinda tedious but definitely part of the canon; halo (PEOPLE!); sega rally; vib ribbon; mojib ribbon.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 29 May 2005 07:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't believe it took this long for a mention of halo.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 29 May 2005 07:35 (twenty-one years ago)

night breed; alien breed.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 29 May 2005 09:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Another problem with Deus Ex Machina was synchronisation issues. Every tape deck (or at least cheap ones) play at slightly different speeds, so after about half an hour you would find yourself completely out of time with the game.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Sunday, 29 May 2005 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

another problem was that the game itself was actually (whisper it) a bit balls. "move a cursor over a sprite to make it do something else". "jump over something". that was about as far as it went, IIRC.

but oh, what a concept. what a beautiful, beautiful concept. fuck the gameplay, fuck the sychronisation, just bask in the glory of the idea and the audacity and ... mel croucher, where are you when we need you?

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Sunday, 29 May 2005 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Pitfall!
http://kstella.sourceforge.net/graphics/pitfall.png

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Sunday, 29 May 2005 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I played a great game on the 3DO where you could control a tank, a jeep, or a helicopter. what was that called?

Return Fire, which was great in its use of classical music to accompany your attacking vehicle(Ride of the Valkyries, Mars Bringer of War, etc)...

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Sunday, 29 May 2005 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

it was really fun.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 29 May 2005 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Frankly I preferred (and beat!) Pitfall 2.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 30 May 2005 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/screens/P/xPole_Position.png

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 30 May 2005 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Fool's Errand.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 30 May 2005 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Silkworm!

and, to a lesser extent, SWIV

― Slumpman (Slump Man), Monday, 30 May 2005 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

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